


A Mermaid's Worth

by Scribbling Mama (melgibson87)



Series: AU August 2018 [11]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU August, AU Yeah AUgust (Miraculous Ladybug), Adrien saves Marinette, Alternate Universe - No Kwamis, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Being Gabriel, Little Mermaid Elements, Marinette is kidnapped, Marinette saves Adrien, Mermaid Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-06-26 15:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15665994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melgibson87/pseuds/Scribbling%20Mama
Summary: Adrien Agreste joined his father on a yachting trip as part of his father's demands he continue to represent Gabriel Fashion. He's fine with the idea at first since he's never been on a yacht before and he's starved for new experiences. That experience soon sours as he realizes it means being trapped on a boat with his father, Nathalie, and Chloe for two weeks.Things get interesting when he falls overboard one night and is rescued by a beautiful pink mermaid with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. His life will never be the same, especially when he learns of her fate after saving his life.





	1. The Yacht

**Author's Note:**

> Day 11 of AU Yeah August. Mermaid AU. 
> 
> I was inspired by [this artwork](http://sweetsweetsweetie.tumblr.com/image/174242685116) on Tumblr. I just loved the idea and wanted to create my own story based on this.

 

Boarding the yacht of one of his father's business associates had been an exciting experience for Adrien, a young man nearing his twentieth birthday. He hadn't gotten to experience nearly as much as others his age due to his father's strict standards about Adrien's whereabouts. His father's strict rules could be quite suffocating for the young man who yearned for just the tiniest bit of freedom. He didn't feel like he was asking too much, but it seemed his father had other ideas.

As they walked across the highly polished and stabilized gangplank, Adrien noted the fine furniture and highly polished wood of the ship. The dark wood contrasted nicely with the nice fiberglass siding, his hand running over the superior craftsmanship of the vessel he'd be spending his next week. 

"Adrien, don't wander off," Nathalie, his father's assistant, called out as though he were still a child. 

He nodded though he had every intention of finding one corner of the yacht to call his own. He needed that spot as surely as he knew his father would keep his demands high on Adrien's time despite this being a supposed vacation for them both. 

He hadn't gotten two steps ahead when the shrill voice of his only friend shrieked. "Adrikins, you made it."

The blonde woman rushed toward him, slamming into his side and nearly knocking them into the few people standing behind him.

"Oh, I thought you'd never get here. All these people are so boring, you know? Too stuffy for my tastes anyway." She shook her blonde ponytail so it draped perfectly down her back as her smile flashed bright, almost reflecting the sun's harsh rays.

Adrien wished he hadn't forgotten his sunglasses as he blinked from the brightness of her smile. He could already feel a steady throbbing in his temple with her presence next to him. He usually didn't mind Chloe, appreciative of her willingness to spend time with him despite his social awkwardness. Yet, there were times when he wished he could make friends on his own, not depending on his father to make the introductions and schedule his 'play dates' as Nathalie called them.

Ugh, he was almost twenty. How had he allowed this to go on for so long? He needed to put his foot down with his father, demanding he be treated like the adult he was. 

That produced a wry chuckle, knowing his father would merely stare at him with that stern expression of his, clearly disinterested in anything Adrien had to say about freedom and independence.

"Come on, Adrikins. I'll show to your room. Daddy got you the room right next to mine. Isn't that amazing?" She hooked her arm around his, dragging him across the main deck toward the private cabins reserved for guests. She continued to chatter about one thing or another that had happened to her over the past few weeks.

He'd soon tuned her out, having grown used to her constant talking and the buzzing sound it created in his mind. 

He glanced back to find his father watching them, his eyes clearly displeased with the current influence Chloe had over Adrien.

Wouldn't his father be pleased to know Chloe didn't hold his attention?

A small part of him didn't want to reassure his father as his father was the exact reason he associated with Chloe in the first place. He couldn't fault the young woman for finding him interesting as he'd become the hottest model and the veritable golden boy of Paris. He hated every minute of it. He didn't like the spotlight his father had placed upon him, making Adrien the poster child for Gabriel fashions. 

Spilled milk being what it was, Adrien had come to accept his fate as that poster child, knowing he'd need more strength than he currently possessed to break all ties with his father. He knew his father knew it, too. It was the exact reason why his father continued to control him. He should've said something when he had the chance. It was too late for him, right?

"What do you think?" Chloe asked, pushing open the cabin door and stepping into the room assigned to him. Her critical eye missed nothing as she waited for his reaction to the room. 

"It's nice, Chlo." He dropped his small carry-on onto the bed, his eyes merely glancing over the room. Any room he used had to measure up to his father's standards, which meant they would meet with his satisfaction, too. 

He frowned though as he realized the room didn't have any large windows unlike his room at home. Despite the windows creating prison bar shadows in his room, he had natural light streaming most of the day, bringing some sunshine into his life. This room didn't have that, causing him a small amount of worry. Had his father figured out his need for freedom and done something to further keep Adrien chained?

He hoped not, but he wouldn't put it past his father.

"So, dinner's in an hour. Be sure to wear your best, Adrikins. After all, you're my date for the evening." She wiggled her fingers as she left his room, having finished her hostess duties for the time being. 

Alone once more, he sank onto the edge of his bed and pulled out his phone, his mother's image staring back at him. 

Seven years since she'd disappeared. Seven years without her sweet smile and warm hugs. 

 _It'd been a long seven years,_  he thought, sighing as he blacked out the screen. 

Needing to find something to occupy himself, he figured he might as well unpack his small carry-on despite it holding only a few items. He knew the rest of his luggage would appear soon enough. His father and Nathalie would see to it. 

Taking out his laptop, Adrien searched the room for an outlet, figuring it might need some charging before he booted it up. As he found one above the bedside table, he noticed a book left behind, the title catching his attention. 

" _A Mermaid's Kiss_? Huh, might be something to do during the long nights." Picking up the book, he tossed it on the bed and set his laptop down on the table, plugging it in. He didn't normally read romance novels, but then, he never thought he might find himself captive on a boat with Chloe.

A sharp knock on his door brought his attention back to the present.

"Adrien?" Nathalie called from the other side.

"One sec."

"I just wanted to inform you that your father is expecting your presence in his room within five minutes. He requests that you bring your dinner attire with you for his approval."

"Of course, he does," he mumbled, resentment rising within his chest. How could he ever manage to dress himself without his father's assistance? Recalling Nathalie on the other side of his door, Adrien called out, "I'll be there. Thank you."

Running his fingers through his hair, he wondered how he'd get his dinner suit out when his luggage hadn't yet arrived. He certainly didn't want anyone getting in trouble with his father. The confrontations were never pleasant for anyone, save his father. 

Another knock announced the arrival of his luggage.

He thanked the porter, grabbed out his necessary garments, and hurried to his father's suite with the help of the yacht's captain.

He could only hope to survive the next two weeks at sea with everyone on board, especially his father and Chloe.


	2. Anger and Fear

 

"Nino, wait," Marinette called as she pushed harder to catch her friend. "Nino, please, stop. You can't be serious. This is too dangerous, even for you."

The golden-eyed, tanned merman came to an abrupt halt ahead of her, his chest panting as he glanced behind him and caught her eye. He frowned as her smaller stature kept her from swimming nearly as fast as him yet her determination to stop him had propelled her to chase him.

"Go home, Mari," he said in a low voice, his eyes glinting with a deep anger that clearly gnawed at him. "I need to do this. I have to save her."

"Not at the expense of your life, Nino. Alya wouldn't want that." Her hand reached for his shoulder as she neared his side, hoping to give him some type of comfort despite the great pain he felt at the loss of his mate. "We'll figure out a way, but this isn't it. Please, come home."

His head dropped to his chest, his eyes closing. He stayed like that for a bit before his eyes opened with a hardened glint that frightened Marinette, her hand tightening on his shoulder. 

"I can't. Not yet. I have to know what happened to her, Mari." Rolling his shoulder, he dislodged her hand and stared at the light refracting off the water's surface. "I understand if you want to return home. This isn't your battle."

"Don't you dare say that. Alya's my friend. I want to help however I can, but we need to be smart about this." She moved in front of him, her hands pressing on his chest and keeping him in place. "If humans took her, then they have the advantage. We can't fight them unless they're in the water."

The loud roaring of a large engine startled them as they caught the sight of the massive yacht traveling over them. The pristine whitewashing of the fiberglass belying the elegance and extravagance that humans adored more than any mermaid Marinette had ever met. 

"Then, let's get them a little wet, shall we?" Nino called as he propelled himself upward with his strong tail, swimming for the yacht.

Fearing what her friend might do and the humans aboard, she followed, hoping she might stop him before he did something too drastic or possible deadly for him. They didn't exactly have the best defenses against the mythic weapons she'd heard humans could use against a mermaid or other creatures in the seven seas. 

Neither got far as two dolphins caught at them and dragged them back, holding onto Nino as he struggled harder than Marinette against their not-so-playful hold. Recognizing the coloring of the dolphins, Marinette turned to find Alya's parents watching with a mixture of anger and sadness at her and Nino. They were in trouble, she knew. 

"What do you two think you're doing?" Alya's father bellowed as he glared down at them.

"What needs to be done," Nino said in defiance. "Someone needs to pay for Alya's capture and torture by those wretched people."

"You have a warrior's spirit, Nino, but you should learn to use your head more than your heart." The older man patted the younger one's shoulder as he pointed back to their underwater kingdom. "Go home. We'll figure out where they're holding Alya and save her. Don't worry, son. She'll come home."

"Please, Nino, trust our elders to figure out a solution," Marinette begged, her blue eyes beseeching him as she touched his arm. She wanted her best friend back, but she couldn't afford to lose another in order to make that happen. 

"Fine," he muttered, moving toward the home he called his near the center of their small kingdom.

Marinette watched him go with more sadness than she cared to admit, wishing she could help in some way though unsure how she'd ever manage to find Alya in a human world. 

"You're a good friend, Marinette," Alya's mother said as she wrapped her arms around the younger woman. "Alya is lucky to have you. So is Nino."

"Yes, ma'am," she whispered. "Do they have any new information about Alya's whereabouts?"

The older woman shook her head in sadness and regret. "They lost track of her a month ago, but I know she's still alive. I can feel her."

Neither said much after that as they swam back to their kingdom. 

Marinette's parents waited outside their small home for her, pulling her tight into a hug, which she gladly returned as her renewed sorrow threatened to overwhelm her. 

"They'll find her," her mother whispered in her ear. "You'll get your friend back."

"I hope so, Mama. I really hope so." She propelled herself into their home, seeking her small bed made of large seaweed strands and sprawled across the surface, her eyes filling with tears.

She didn't know how long she remained there before the distance sound of the conch shells alerted her.

Sitting up, she gazed out her small window and caught several young mermen and mermaids heading toward the center of their kingdom. Determined to learn what was going on, she brushed her hair from her eyes and propelled herself out of her home and into the growing crowd, moving around some of the slower merpeople as she sought Nino and a few others. 

The appearance of their king caused her to gasp, not having seen him often in recent memory. 

"My people, I fear we're about to face invasion. We must flee our homes and find somewhere deeper and safer than our current depths. Humans are coming nearer every year, even stopping their boats too close for fishing purposes." He pointed toward the large anchor at the edge of their kingdom, its thick chain swinging ominously from the gentle waves of the ocean's current. 

Following the chain to the boat in question, Marinette gasped as she noted it belonged to the same yacht they'd seen earlier, the same one Nino had threatened to attack in his futile attempt to gain Alya back. 

"We shall leave when the light has gone, so be prepared for our departure. Take what you absolutely need to survive, my fair mers, because we won't be returning for a long time, if ever again." With that, their king disappeared within his palace, leaving those around to begin panicking at being uprooted. Angry shouts mingled with sorrowful cries as everyone slowly moved to do as their king bid. 

"They shouldn't be allowed to win," Nino growled as he came to Marinette's side, his gaze following hers to the yacht above. "How dare they believe they own this world when they can barely handle theirs on land!"

"How do you know that? Have you ever been up there and seen it yourself?" Her arms crossed over her chest as she regarded him.

"No, but I've heard enough tales to know when something doesn't deserve the power it has. They've been killing our kind for centuries, taking away what was once beautiful and majestic in our waters. How can you defend them?"

"I'm not, but I also don't think they're all bad. It's not like we don't have a few bad seeds ourselves, Nino. Don't you recall that horrid sea witch? She'd nearly destroyed our world because she couldn't handle not having the power she believed belonged to her. We're not that different if you ask me."

"You're too soft and trusting," Nino murmured as he swam toward his home, determined to do what their king asked of them. 

She didn't respond, knowing he wouldn't want to hear it. Her gaze returned to the yacht for another moment, sighing as she wondered if any of them could possibly know or help in finding her friend. She'd be happy to even trade places if that would help. 

With another sigh, she gave a soft shove of her tail, heading toward home when she heard a distant splash above her. As she returned her attention toward the surface, she gasped.

Someone had fallen overboard and was sinking fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 6/10/19: This story will be completed and is on my list to finish. Right now, I'm working on a schedule to make this happen for all my WIPs. I will update everyone in the near future the progress being made for this story and other WIPs here on AO3.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](http://scribblingmama.tumblr.com)


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